First Phoebe of 2013

I finally saw my first Eastern Phoebe of 2013 yesterday at Hempstead Lake State Park on Long Island. In fact, I saw three! My first sighting of Sayornis phoebe is always a harbinger of spring for me and this one was especially sweet as harbingers of spring have been noticeably absent this year across much of the northern United States. So, like last year, I thought I would ask the question,which is only really relevant to folks in the midwest and northeast of the United States and in eastern Canada: When did you see your first Eastern Phoebe of 2013?

Seeing my first Eastern Phoebe on 24 March put me six days behind my average first date over the last seven years of 18 March. Are your Eastern Phoebes early or late this year? And if you want to check out what happened in 2012 or 2011 feel free!

Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy, their son, Desmond Shearwater, and their indoor cat, B.B. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.

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Jochen

March 25, 2013 9:17:41 am

I’ve looked like a madman, but have yet to see my first Phoebe of this spring around Heidelberg / Germany.
Send one over.